Iron

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈaɪən/
• US IPA: /ˈaɪɚn/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)n

Origin

From Middle English iren, a rhotacism of Old English īsern, īsærn, īren, īsen, from Proto-Germanic *īsarną (compare Dutch ijzer, West Frisian izer, German Eisen, Danish jern), from Gaulish īsarno-, from Proto-Celtic *īsarno- (compare Welsh haearn, Irish iarann), a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥ ("blood") (compare Hittite 𒌍𒄩𒅈, Tocharian A ysār, Latvian asinis, Ancient Greek ἔαρ, Old Armenian արիւն, Sanskrit असृज्).

Donald A. Ringe, From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (Oxford: Oxford, 2006), 296.

J.P. Mallory and Douglas Q. Adams, Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, s.v. "blood" (London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999).

The sense development runs from 'bloody' to 'blood red' to 'ruddy metal'.

Full definition of iron

Noun

1. (uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, often black in color, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
• 2013, Kevin Heng, Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily?, In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter. Their densities range from that of styrofoam to iron.
2. (uncountable, physics, chemistry, metallurgy) A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.
3. (uncountable, countable, metallurgy) Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.
   wrought iron, ductile iron, cast iron, pig iron, gray iron
4. (countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.
5. (usually plural, irons) Shackles.
6. (slang) A handgun.
7. (uncountable) A dark shade of the colour/color silver.
8. (Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from iron hoof, rhyming with poof; countable, offensive) A male homosexual.
9. (golf) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.
10. (uncountable) Great strength or power.

Synonyms

• (metallic chemical element) ferrum
• (tool for pressing clothing) flatiron old-fashioned, smoothing iron old-fashioned
• (shackles) shackles
• (homosexual) poof, queer
• (strength or power) energy, force

Hypernyms

• (metallic chemical element) chemical element, metal; atom
• (tool for pressing clothing) tool, mechanical device
• (shackles) restraint
• (handgun) weapon
• (dark shade of silver) colour, color; shade; silver
• (strength or power) force, might, energy

Hyponyms

• (shackles) leg irons
• (golf club) driving iron, long iron, short iron, 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron,
• (strength or power) ironman

Meronyms

• (parts or members of metallic chemical element) electron, neutron, proton

Holonyms

• (metallic chemical element) molecule sometimes

Coordinate terms

• (tool for pressing clothing) mangle

Derived terms

Related terms

• andiron
• gridiron

Adjective

1. (not comparable) Made of the metal iron.
2. (figuratively) Strong (as of will), inflexible.She had an iron will.He held on with an iron grip.an iron constitution

Synonyms

• (strong of will, inflexible) adamant, adamantine, brassbound

Hypernyms

• (made of the metal iron) metal, metallic

Hyponyms

• (made of the metal iron) wrought-iron

Derived terms

Verb

1. (transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.
2. (transitive, archaic) To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
• Sir Walter ScottIroned like a malefactor.
3. (transitive) To furnish or arm with iron.to iron a wagon

Synonyms

• (to pass an iron over) press

Coordinate terms

• (to pass an iron over) mangle

Descendants

• Japanese: アイロン (airon)

Derived terms

Anagrams

• inro, inrō, noir, nori, Orin, RINO